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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. charge — in control
  6. kid — child
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — the sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — of ice
  17. charge — electricity
  18. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com